"The Sails Of Tau Ceti" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

fact that Admiral Carnevon speaks very highly of you. He says that you are one
of his brightest officers, resourceful and flexible in your response to new
situations. СAn Original Thinker,Т was the way he described you.Ф
УIТll have to thank the admiral the next time I see him.Ф
Sadibayan continued reading. УYou have also served a tour as military attachщ in
our LaGrange embassy, so you are at least aware of diplomacy.Ф
УYes, sir.Ф
УOne thing puzzles me, Captain. Why did you spend so much time in corvettes?Ф
Van Zandt shrugged. УI made the mistake of embarrassing one of my superiors
during my first tour as a ship commander. It was during an exercise against the
fleet flagship.Minotaur was in a high elliptical orbit around Luna, with a low
perilune. I put my corvette down practically on the mountaintops, popped up
whileMinotaur was making its close approach to the surface, and put two
simulated missiles into her. The flagshipТs commander was Aaron Dalgren. He
filed a formal protest alleging that I had endangered both ships and crews. The
protest was not upheld by the referees.
УUnfortunately, Captain Dalgren was promoted to admiral shortly afterward, and
given command of all fleet corvettes. He made it clear that he was very
irritated with me. I only recently worked my way out of purgatory and managed to
get promoted to destroyers.Ф
УYou made quite a name for yourself considering the fact that you were in
official disfavor. You won the Rickover Award, I believe.Ф
УI had a good crew, and I was lucky.Ф
Sadibayan leaned back. He placed his elbows on the arms of the chair and
steepled his fingers in front of him. УHow would you like to go back to
corvettes, Captain?Ф
УSir?Ф
УYour superiors have given me the power to offer you command of a corvette.
Interested?Ф
УIs that what this is all about?Ф
Sadibayan nodded.
УIТm sorry to disappoint you, Subminister, but my career plans do not include
backsliding.Ф
УIs that what you would consider it?Ф
УYes, sir. You have to understand how it is in the space navy. An officer works
his way up through the fleet, commanding ever larger and more important ships.
There are not that many of them. If you miss your turn, you become stuck in
grade. If I give upCurrant , I have lost my opportunity to prove myself in
destroyers. That means I will never advance to cruisers.Ф
SadibayanТs look was one that Van Zandt could not quite decipher. УCaptain, we
would like you to command is the corvetteAustria . She was decommissioned two
years ago and sold to the Martians as a customs craft. They just finished
overhauling her. As we speak, she is being modified to mate with theStarhopper
booster. The mission is to take her out beyond Pluto, and once there, to
intercept an inbound alien starship.Ф
Van Zandt regarded the small chocolate colored man for half a minute without
speaking. He could not decide whether the subminister was serious, or merely
possessed a defective sense of humor. When the silence had stretched
uncomfortably long, he cleared his throat and said, УYou can forget what I said
about not leavingCurrant , sir. I accept the command!Ф